The B-Plan and the pension,
working together.
FedEx pilots carry one of the more layered packages in the industry — a defined-contribution side and a pension component that have to be planned as one system, not two. Here's how I coordinate them for the FedEx pilots I work with.
The B-Plan levers most pilots miss.
Plan the contribution side to 415(c)
On the defined-contribution side, the total-additions limit is what binds when the company piece is large. We plan your deferrals around the limit that actually applies.
After-tax to in-plan Roth, where permitted
Where the plan allows after-tax contributions and in-plan conversions, the mega-backdoor space can be significant. We verify your current plan provisions before relying on it.
Coordinate the pension decision early
Pension elections tend to be irreversible. We model your specific number against current assumptions well before the decision window — not in the final months.
Roth vs. pre-tax across the career
The right mix shifts as pay grows. We model the crossover with your real numbers and revisit it annually rather than setting it once and forgetting it.
Sequencing income before the deadline
The mandatory-age date is fixed. We build the taxable / pre-tax / Roth drawdown order years ahead so the transition is deliberate.
Two FedEx pilots,
different bases, different brackets, different timelines — should not share one template. Mine don't.